I met ETA Douglas Roy briefly when I was at Niagara Falls in December 2017 while attending a Silver Aces concert a Casino Niagara. I was introduced to him by sisters Oni and Maria, who told me Douglas sang with Elvis. I was intrigued and want to know more. Douglas Roy has the distinction of being known as the only ETA who sang on stage with Elvis.* Douglas, who now lives in Niagara Falls, but is originally from Hamilton, Ontario, was in the audience at Elvis's concert in Lake Tahoe in 1976. On May 5th, 1976, at Elvis's 10:00 pm concert, according to Elvis Presley in Concert, Douglas was called on stage by Elvis to sing a couple of songs--"Hound Dog" and "In the Early Morning Rain." Douglas told me that he knows of no existing photographs of the momentous occasion of him on stage with Elvis--other than a photo that a lady took that shows Douglas and a bit of Elvis's hair and sleeve. He does have a recording of Elvis's voice that night that he is going to send to me to share on my blog. I asked Douglas if he would be interested in an interview, to which he answered, "Yes." I gave him my card, but I understood from our conversation that he would soon be heading to the warmer climate of Florida for four months. It may be a while before I have an interview to post. In the meantime, I am posting some interesting video clips and article snippets for you to enjoy.
Douglas Roy at the 2018 Flaming Star Festival.
The dates of the YouTube videos are much more recent than the actual videos, so if anyone has any information about the dates when the performances first aired, please let me know. I am guessing by the disco sounding performance in the first video, it was in the 70s; and by the ET Ca Tourne logo on the floor, the program most likely originated in Quebec. The second video is of Douglas's performance on The Dini Petty Show. It may have been the late 80s or 90s since that is the time frame when her programs aired. The third video is not great quality, but is a stunning performance of "I am so Lonesome I Could Cry." And the fourth, which I think the most interesting video, is of Douglas's performance in 2011 at the Ridgeway Legion in Fort Erie, Ontario, where he tells the story of the night Elvis called him to the stage. Following Douglas's four videos, is a video of Elvis singing "In the Early Morning Rain"--the same song he sang with Douglas--at the same 1976 Lake Tahoe concert, but on a different day. I have also included two (edited) references to the 1976 event that I found while researching the distinguished career of one of Canada's premier ETAs.
It was a pleasure meeting and talking with ETA Douglas Roy. I look forward to the opportunity of posting his interview. From all your fans, thank you, Douglas. Best regards, Carolyn.
Editor’s Note, August 20, 2022: I added this new recording of Elvis Presley’s show in Lake Tahoe in 1976—the same year that Douglas Roy appeared on stage with Elvis. If you go to Douglas Roy’s Facebook page, Dave Korotkov has shared an audio recording of Douglas singing “Hound Dog” with Elvis. Another interesting piece of information that I just learned this morning is that Douglas is a cousin of our friend, entertainer and singer, Bobby Allan. It appears talent runs in the family!
While, to date, I have not interviewed Douglas Roy, I did see him a couple of times since the first time in 2017 at Silver Aces at other venues and events . Five years later: There are no more Silver Aces shows at Casino Niagara; SIDEBURNS Magazine is still going strong (starting our sixth year on September 10th, 2022); and I am still doing interviews. Cheers, everyone! C.M.
Quotes and Comments
"…The most interesting part of this show is when Elvis impersonator Douglas Roy joins Elvis on stage for 'Hound Dog'; Elvis sings whilst Douglas does the impersonation…After the performance Elvis gave Douglas a tribute when he said 'it was a compliment!"
- G. McDonnell, Elvis Presley in Concert
"Elvis himself was amused by it all and saw the fun in it. In May of 1976 he even invited impersonator Douglas Roy to perform onstage for him for a few minutes at the Lake Tahoe Horizon."
- Laura Leven and John O'Hara, Elvis and You: Your Guide to the Pleasures of Being an Elvis Fan
“I first met Doug in the late seventies at a concert he was giving in Toronto. I asked him to sing the Wonder of You. He had me sing it, along with a few other songs. He's a very generous entertainer, great ETA, and an even better person. “ Daniel Jackman, August 20, 2022. (Facebook comment)
*Carl “Cheesie” Nelson, considered by many to be the first ETA, filled in for a few minutes for Elvis at the Texarkana concert in 1955 when Elvis was delayed due to a car accident. Wikipedia reports that Carl first met Elvis in 1954, and continued to be part of Elvis's Texarkana experience .Source: Texarkana Gazette featured story November 24, 2011— A Tale of Two Friends: Inspired by Elvis.